EXTRA- CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES FOR CHILDREN: A RESPITE FROM THE ETERNAL PRESSURE OF ACADEMICS

Last updated : February 27, 2018 Posted by: Himangini Nigam

“By Education, I mean an all-round drawing of best in child and man in the body, mind, and spirit.”- Mahatma Gandhi

The contemporary notion that commonly prevails around is that the success of children heavily relies on the academic excellence. This not only adds to the ginormous pressure on the young and tender minds of the children but somewhat make the children lose their interest towards the academic pathway.

As the name itself suggests, Extra-curricular activities or the activities other than the defined curriculum are the most underrated aspects of an individual’s life. Why use the word underrated - because these activities help in the rejuvenation and recreation of the bored mind, but are lost in the set list of priorities. These priorities themselves need a space to breathe so that they can work at their best in the near future. Furthermore, this space needs to be utilized by these extra-curricular activities because they help in multiple ways, like a few mentioned below.

Provides the needed rest: Excess of studies only induces anxiety and dullness in a child. Hence, the extra-curricular activities act as an escape route for kids to give them the much-needed breather, that instills a refreshing perspective towards the studies and the tasks ahead. It is a proven fact that a rejuvenated mind focuses better. Thus, it is a win-win for both parents and children.

Boosts the intellectual as well as social skills: Mugging up the books does no good either to the intellect of the child or his social skills, whereas the extra-curricular activities work up the child to critically analyze situations they encounter and find a solution to it. These skills further when implemented in the classroom training, help the child shine. Moreover, these activities help the child to interact and bond with other children who share the same interests and thus learn important social skills like sharing, understanding and working in teams.

Lifts up the confidence in self: Regardless of the activity that your child loves to pursue, the personality of your child glows. The innate happiness of doing what one likes develops the confidence levels within. Also, it enriches the child with a positive feeling of self-worth as well as lightens up their mood. This further makes the child capable of tackling challenges inside or outside the classroom, with confidence.

Nurtures the talent which has taken the back seat: Every child is bestowed with a special gift, which is not only confined to academics and can be well beyond. All it requires is the proper recognition. The extracurricular activities help the children to acknowledge their hidden talent. These activities also open the children as well as their parents, towards a possibility of success of the child in a non-academic genre, which makes it no less of a success or achievement in the long run.

Thus, to sum up, all we can say is that the academics, as well as the extracurricular activities, should go hand in hand, for the child to have a complete development.